Floigan Brothers

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Hands-on impressions and new screens. Plus we bake a cookie! Click here for more details.

By IGN Staff

UPDATE: 03-06-2001

Well, well well..what do we have here. It seems that after countless months of begging, pleading, and other various forms of psychological torture, we finally managed to get some much-needed face time with our boys Hoigle and Moigle.

Yes, we made the trip up to Visual Concepts, and for a good hour plus, it was just us, the game, and an army of Sega representatives. Unfortunately for you, however, the build we witnessed was pretty similar to the one we saw at Sega Executive Games Summit a few months back.

At present, the bulk of the voice-acting is finally in, and it is, as expected, quite awesome. We're not sure who they got to lay down the audio, but these guys certainly have a feel for the whole old-school cartoon gig, and it shows. Gag, puns, and pointless rhetoric abound, and according to Visual Concepts, the team plans to squeeze in even more audio before they close in for the kill, bringing in the voice crew for one more recording session.

We got a chance to take the controls ourselves, and from what we have seen, this puzzler is moves smooth enough. The menu system takes a bit of getting used to, as there is a lot to see and do, but one thing Visual Concepts has managed to incorporate without much trouble is the idea that each situation requires different actions. Depending on what mini-game or activity you are engaging in, the controls swap seamlessly, and keep tabs on what does what by the handy little transparent button guide you'll see in the upper left hand corner of the screen shots included with this update.

Speaking of mini-games, depending on your number of points, you'll be able to teach new ones to Moigle, which adds a lot variety to the game as you progress and develop the big M's skill set. While we apparently suck at "High Five," Sega indicates that there will be a whole mess of mini-games to keep us busy.

We also got a look at the game's tutorial mode, which, although early, does a lot to show off the game's structure. Basically, in this mission, you have to help Moigle bake some cookies (well, one big cookie, it turns out) , and not only does it teach you to use the controls in any given situation, but also depend on Moigle's considerable size when need. From then on out, it was all about exploring the famr and getting used to inciting a little rage in the heart of the Big Guy.

This really managed to crack the room up. Not just because we like dishing out abuse, but because the animation in Floigan is really top notch. There are seemingly countless still routines for each character, and the longer you leave Moigle to his own devices, the more he will do. From playing with a pop-gun or airplane to messing with a yo-yo and whacking himself in the head with said yo-yo, this guy truly is a "maroon." If the other characters live up to his antics, this will be one of the best-looking titles on the Dreamcast to date, not to mention one of the most humorous games we've ever seen.

Our time was short, so my impressions will have to follow suit, at this point, it looks like Floigan is on track as a memorable puzzle adventure for the DC. We'll check back in soon with extended impressions as soon as we get a build we can call our own.

As Brandon constanly keeps screaming "FLOIGAN" in hopes of getting a full playable preview in his hands, this behavoir seems... not to be working. HOWEVER, we have received a couple of new screens and new details of Visual Concepts cartoony adventure/puzzle game.

Floigan Brothers plans to have online options including an online chat feature and new downloads that make some neat cosmetic changes to the game. The new screens show Moigle wearing a purty dress and a white wig! Other downloadable changes will take the form in holiday themes (i.e. Christmas, Halloween, etc.,) and also new uniforms for both brothers. Additionally, you can "trade" Moigles (the big dopey brother) between players, as each player will develop Moigles abilities and personality differently. This "Moigle swapping" feature will also enable players to trade the "Moigle" between the different episodes that are being planned to release every few months. Floigan Brothers is planning to be released at the end of March 2001, so check back often for more details, while I look for a muzzle for Brandon.

After nearly two years of absolute silence, someone at Sega apparently lost all control of their mental facilities, and allowed our friends at Visual Concepts to show us a little bit of the Floigan. My notes from the presentation, in their entirety:

"Ummmm....HOLY $#!%!!!!"

Yeah, you could say we kinda gave up on any hope of every hearing anything about this game again, but after today, we'll be bugging Sega with renewed vigor, as this game is looking hotter than a jalapeno in Hell. The game is nearing the Alpha stages of development, and is finally taking shape. Hoigle and Moigle's sibling shenanigans are finally in full swing, and from what we witnessed, the interaction between these two will leave you in stitches. But we'll get back to that in a bit. For now, let's talk a bit about the game itself. As we mentioned in our first preview, the idea is that you control the scrawny braintrust of the family, Hoigle, who must find ways to manipulate Moigle, the stereotypical big softie, into doing your dirty work.

The game is set in the Floigan Brothers JunkYard, and the plot revolves around a secret project of Moigle's. Not that he's letting his brother in on things, but as he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, the big guy needs Hoigle's help finding key parts for an invention of his. To keep your brother happy, you have to find said parts. The only thing is, the junkyard is a mess, and getting to what you need isn't always that simple.

This is mainly because of the junkyard itself. The entire game takes place within the fences of the yard, and believe it or not, Visual Concepts looks to have packed a near-infinite number of new and interesting challenges inside these walls. Think of it as a giant Rubix Cube, and by getting Moigle to do your bidding, you can slowly unravel this monstrous puzzle to work towards your final goal.

The fun part comes in when you look at exactly how this is accomplished. We witnessed a dozen or so problems, and came away extremely impressed with both their design and execution. Here's an example: You need to get across the moat to the other side of the junkyard. Well, unfortunately, the water level has dipped, and the floating bridge has sunk below a reachable level for the vertically challenged Hoigle. So, what does our hero do? Why, make his brother sad by insulting him to the point of tears, of course. "Cry me a river!" you taunt, and guess what? He does! The bridge rises with the water, and then you can make your way across.

This sort of humorous puzzle solving is what FB is all about. Another scene we witnessed: you need a key to get outside the gate to check your mailbox for a package. Moigle really wants his package, and he keeps reminding you that he needs you to help him get to the mailbox. Unfortunately, the key is stuck on the catwalk of a giant sign in the middle of the junkyard. At this point, we picked a fight with Moigle until he got mad. He then proceeded to rush us in a fit of rage, and what occurred from there is the stuff only the best old-school cartoons are made of. The big man crumpled his brother into a little ball, pulled out a bat, and whacked him like a baseball high into the air. And where did we land? You guessed it. Right on the ledge with the key.

Cool stuff, huh? But I am sure you're wondering how you know when to do what? Well, scattered across the lot are various boxes, that all display various emotions that you need to trigger in Moigle to unlock. If the box has a sad face, make him cry. Happy faces mean you should give him a hug. Angry faces mean a few socks in the gut should help your cause. You get the idea. By unlocking these boxes and waiting for the needed response, you'll often trigger events that help you progress through the game.

In addition to puzzles of this nature, Floigan Brothers is also packed with mini-games. Every so often, Moigle will get bored, and try to get you to play a game with him. Now, this could be anything from tag to hide and seek, and you play for "points," which the somewhat obsessive Moigle will keep track of throughout the game. You can use these imaginary points to bribe the big fellah, as he simply has to be in the lead.

Then, there are puzzles of the physical variety. At one point, there is an object stuck on the roof that you need to retrieve, but unfortunately, Moigle and heights don't mix too well, and you're too short to get up there. A problem, to be sure. But, there's always a solution. We then watched as Hoigle ran circles around his brother until he became dizzy from watching, then fell to the ground. He then hopped on Moigle's big, bouncy gut and used it as a trampoline, bouncing until he reached the roof.

These are but a sample of the ways you can manipulate Moigle to get the job done. The game looks absolutely stunning, and the animations are easily the hand-drawn equivalents of the best motion captured sports games. Basically, think of this as a 3-D version of your favorite Warner Brothers cartoon, and you'll get the idea. Every emotion and reaction is conveyed with over-the-top character movements that will leave you in rolling on the floor with laughter. These screen shots will give you an idea, but when you see the awesome character design mesh with the animation routines we've just described, you won't be able to resist busting a gut.

This is especially true of a set of characters we have yet to discuss: the bad guys. Though the puzzles and character interaction mentioned are both really cool, Visual Concepts knew this wouldn't be enough to keep you busy forever, so they added a little drama to the mix. The evil Baron Malodorous is determined to get his hands on the family business, and since the Floigans have no interest in selling the old junkyard, the Baron has decided to take it by force. Knowing Moigle to be a few fries short of a HappyMeal, he's attacking the big guy's soft spot: cute fuzzy animals. The Baron has enlisted a troop of militant kittens to do his dirty work, and plans to take over the junkyard point by point. He starts with a cute, fuzzy spy kitty, who will scope out the scene and let his cohorts know key locations that they should try to secure in their quest for dominance.

This of course, leads to attempts by the Floigans to get rid of the unwanted kittens by any means necessary. We saw one such episode today, where a particularly militant cat had built a temporay sand-bag fort on the top of a hill in the junkyard, and when Hoigle and Moigle try to uproot him, he begins to throw bombs at the brothers. To get rid of the feline foe, you'll have to throw his ammo back at him before it blows up. Unfortunately, he is a cat, and well, he has 9 lives to work with. To add to your troubles, Moigle doesn't seem to understand that the bombs will eventually go off, and if he endures too many explosions, he'll give up for a while, and will have to be convinced by his brother to give it another go. Eventually, Hoigle figures out that the cute little kitten is the source of your troubles. Being a smart guy, he also knows that Moigle would be heartbroken if he "took care" of our fuzzy little friend, so you'll also have to attempt to keep Moigle away from the cat by throwing it across the JunkYard during the course of the game. As you can see, this game will have more than enough hilarity to keep hardcore gamers busy.

Not that all of this wasn't a complete joy to behold, but one of the best revelations Visual Concepts bestowed upon the crowd was the fact that this was only the beginning. They anticipate Floigan Brothers will hold about 10 hours of gameplay, and another part of the game will be teaching certain skills to Moigle. For example, he's afraid of spiders, and by the end of the game, you have to convince him he is a not-so-lean, mean, spider ¿squashing machine. But what good will that do you if it takes the entire game? Well, the good news is, Sega and Visual Concepts have created Floigan Brothers with episodic gameplay in mind, and the skills you learn in the original will carry over via VMU save to the next game in the series. While Sega was unable to comment on a release schedule and exact settings for future episodes, Visual Concepts gave several examples for new chapters, including an old west Floigan, Floigan in Space, and of course, their own twist on Survior where the brothers must escape a desert island. If they are anywhere near as creative as what we witnessed today, we can't wait to see what these games have in store!

The game is now slated to ship in March of 2001, and we expect to get even more details on this hot new title in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled for all the Floigan a whole mess of pestering can buy. Until then, check out these hot new screens straight from the Sega Executive Games Summit.

I'm sure you all remember the magical experience that was your first Disney movie (well, unless your parents are members of the Southern Baptist Convention...). This sheer level of visual brilliance has rarely managed to reach the gaming public outside a few shining examples, such as UbiSoft's Rayman Sega's Astal, but believe it or not, the guys responsible for Sega's upcoming Sports line-up are about to cause you to drop your jaw and your jock-straps over what is sure to be one of the most impressive titles the console world has ever seen.

The crew at Visual Concepts are currently slaving away on a number of projects, and though their killer football and basketball aps have been getting the majority of the press, many hardcore gamers are starting to hear exciting whispers about their other title, Floigan Brothers. A tale of two brothers and their misadventures in a beautifully rendered junkyard of slapstick shenanigans, FB looks to take the level of graphical brilliance seen in early DC efforts such as Sonic Adventure and Climax Landers and give it a good whack with a dose of humor and innovation.

You see, Hoigle and Moigle are two mismatched siblings with a little problem. A greedy land developer finds out that the junkyard they call home is sitting on top of a huge oil reserve and if they hope to keep their home, they have to work together as a combo of brains and brawn to thwart his evil plans of driving them out of business and off the land. Gamers will get to help the brothers by assuming the role of Hoigle, the small but smart half of this duo, as you learn to guide and guard Moigle as he helps carry out your plans.

To help keep things interesting on this end, VC has created an incredible world rivaling that of a top-notch animation studio, and you'll get to experience your adventure in full 3-D as you interact with nearly everything in the environment. But perhaps the coolest aspect of this interactive nature is your relationship with Moigle himself.

Not unlike a virtual pet, Hoigle's big brother will almost "evolve" according to how he is treated, and can learn new tricks based on how you help him along in the game. For example, despite his big size, Moigle is more than little afraid of the dark, but if you teach him to use a flashlight... Get the idea? Thing is, he may be a bit slow, but his feelings aren't made outta stone. Moigle will actually react according to how you act towards him, and if you treat him like dirt, he'll make sure to return the favor when you need his considerable strength.

There will be a ton of min-games incorporated to take advantage of this innovative relationship, such as where gamers must help Moigle learn how to farm. While he works on his green thumb, Hoigle has to somehow keep the birds away from his seeds. Sounds cool, eh?

Unfortunately, with the game currently slated for a release in the second half of 2000, this is all we could manage to dig up. But, one thing is for sure, with the game at Visual Concepts wowing us daily with new info on their titles, we are more than a little excited for Floigan Brother's coming-out party. We'll be back as soon as we get new details on this one, so expect the full skinny in the months to come.